Extension device for car-platforms.



K. L-. ELSNER.

EXTENSION DEVICE FOR GAR PLATFORMS. nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 2.

1,045,009. Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

INVENTOR Kw"? L. Eisner ATTORNEYS KURT I4. ELSNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EXTENSION DEVICE FOR CAR-PLATFORMS.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

Application filed June 13, 1912. Serial No. 703,364.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KURT L. ELSNER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the countyof Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedExtension Device for Car-Plat forms, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

My invention comprises an attachment for car platforms and the likewhich is designed to bridge the space between the side of the car andthe edge of the platform at the station for the convenience ofpassengers leaving the car or boarding the same; and the object thereofis to prevent accidents which might happen in case any of the passengersshould inadvertently step into the open space between the edge of theplatform at the station and the side of the car and thus sustaininjuries.

l/Vith this object in View I attach to the ends of the car adjacent thedoorway a device which can be connected to move in unison wit-h the doorto bridge the space between the car and the platform as soon as the dooris opened, and thus eliminate all risk of accident and injury.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which the same characters of reference indicatethe same parts in all the views. V

Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing my invention applied to a car;Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the end of a car atthe level of my extension device; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic viewshowing the manner in which my invention is designed to be operated inunison with the car door.

On the drawings the numeral 1 represents a car having a doorway 2through which passengers enter and leave the car over a platform 3, thisdoorway .2 being opened and closed by means of a sliding door 4:: Theplatform 3 may be made hollow to form a space 5 below the top of theplatform, and in this space 5 is mounted to slide my extension device 6,by means of which the space between the car and the station platform isbridged. This extension device may be arranged on either side of the carin the end platform 3, or wherever else the doors 4 of the sliding orany other type are located; and in order to mount these extensiondevices 6 in operative position it is not necessary that the platform 3or the bottom of the car be made hollow, so long as these extensiondevices 6 are movably mounted so that they can be moved outwardlaterally of the car for the purpose set forth. For example, I mayattach them to the bottom of a car by means of suitable guides by meansof which my object could be obtained in the same way as by forming thehollow spaces 5.

Each of the extension devices 6 has its inner corners rounded 01f asshown at 7, and it is arranged to move upon rollers 8 which engage itslower face. The inner edge of the same is engaged by means of a leafspring 9 secured at its center to the rear wall of the recess 5, andengaging the inner edge of the extension device 6 at its ends. Securedto each of the devices 6 is a ring or eyelet l0, and to this eyelet isconnected an operating cord or chain shown at 11. This operating cord orchain passes over a guide pulley 12, and through a channel 13 tosuitable operating devices by means of which the cord or chain 11 iscontrolled to withdraw the extension device 6 or allow the same to moveto projecting position. hen the cord for one of the devices 6 is pulledit of course withdraws the device 6 against the force of the spring 9,and when the tension on the chains or cords 13 is relaxed the spring 9of course moves the extension device 6 outward until it abuts againstthe edge of the platform and stops bridging the space between the sameand the side of the car.

A diagrammatic way in which each bridging or extension device 6 can beconnected up to operate in unison with the adjacent door 4, is shown inFig. 3. Here the operating cord or chain 11 after passing over the guidepulley 12 is joined to a coiled spring let, to the other end of which issecured a similar cord or chain 15. This cord or chain passes overpulleys 16, and is fastened to the inner edge of the door shown at 4E.When the door is moved to closed position, tension is applied to thecords or chains 11 and 15 and the extension device 6 pulled back, thespring 14 stretching to the required extent, owing to the difierence inthe amount of movement which the door 4 and the device 6 receive. Whenthe door is moved to open position the tension on the cords or chains 11and 15, as well as the spring 14, is relaxed, allowing the spring 9 tomove the bridging device 6 outward. Obviously, the cord or chain 11 maybe connected up to the levers by means of which the door 4.- is movedopened and shut, as well as being connected to the door itself, asshown.

My invention is of great utility on railways which have one or morestations arranged adjacent parts of the line which are curved, wherebythe platform stations shown at 17 must be curved to a correspondingdegree. Under such conditions it is inevitable that an open space willbe left between the end of each car and the platform at the station, andthis space constitutes a source of danger, especially in subways andother places where the full light of day is not available to enable apassenger to see at all times where he is going. The existence of such aspace between the car and the station platform might easily be the causeof a broken limb or other injuries in case the passenger leaving orboarding the car should inadvertently step into the space in question ormiss his footing and fall into the same. Vith the use of my inventionthis danger is entirely eliminated. It will be seen that by connectingeach of the devices 6 to be operated in unison with the adjacent door,the moment the door is opened the device 6 moves into position to bridgethe space, and thus the danger is eliminated before any one can start toleave the car or board the same.

It will be seen by referring to the drawings, further, that theextension device 6 automatically adjusts itself to the direction of theedge of the platform 17, owing to the fact that the spring 9 engages therear edge of the device 6 at two points. Hence, no matter how the edgeof the platform 17 be curved or inclined, the bridging device 6 will bemoved out farther to cover the space where it is widest, and to a lessextent at its opposite end.

I wish to have it understood that the above description taken inconnection with the drawings is illustrative only, and that I do notcare to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown anddescribed, but reserve to myself the right to make any changes in theshape, size and manner in which the parts are connected together asfairly fall within the scope and spirit of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Let ters Patent:

1. The combination of a bridging member, means for mounting the same inposition to fill a space between a vehicle adjacent an entrance theretoand a platform beside which the vehicle stops, said vehicle having amovable member for closing said trance, and be withdrawn when the othermember closes said entrance.

2. The combination of a bridging member, means for mounting the same inposition to fill a space between a vehicle adjacent an entrance theretoand a platform beside which the vehicle stops, said vehicle having amovable member for closing said entrance, resilient means for actuatingthe bridging member to cause the same to adjust itself to the outlinesof said space when in bridging position, and means for causing saidbridging member and the member closing the entrance to the vehicle tomove in unison, so that the said bridging member may fill said spacewhen the other member closes said entrance.

3. The combination of a bridging member, means for mounting the sameupon a vehicle in position to bridge a space be tween the vehicleadjacent an entrance there to and a platform beside which the vehiclestops, said vehicle having a member controlling said entrance, means foractuating the bridging member to cause the same to adjust itself to theoutline of said space when moved to bridging position, and means forcausing said bridging member and the other member to move in unison, sothat the bridging member will fill the space when the other member openssaid entrance, and be withdrawn when the ot-her'n'iember closes the saidentrance. g

4. The combination of a bridging member, means for mounting the sameupon a vehicle in position to bridge a space bet-ween the vehicleadjacent an entrance thereto and a platform beside which the vehiclestops, said vehicle havin a member controlling said entrance, resillentmeans for actuating the bridging member to cause the same to adjustitself to the outline of said space when moved to bridging position,'andmeans for causing said bridgmgmember and the other member to move inunison, so that the bridging member will fill the space when the othermember opens said entrance, and

be withdrawn when the other member closes platform beside which thevehicle stops, and to adjust itself to the outline of said space, andmeans for causing said member and said gate to move in unison, so thatwhen the gate opens the entrance the bridging member will fill saidspace, and when the gate closes said entrance the bridging member willbe withdrawn from said space.

6. The combination of a bridging member, means for mounting the sameupon a vehicle, said vehicle having a recess adjacent an entrancethereto 7 to receive said member, said recess having a gate to controlthe same, means for actuating the member to cause the same to fill aspace between the vehicle adjacent the entrance and a platform besidewhich the vehicle stops, said means serving to move one end of thebridging member farther from the side of the vehicle than the other endto enable it to adjust itself to the outline of said space, and meansfor causing the bridging member and the gate to move in unison so thatthe bridging member will be moved to fill the space when the gate opensthe entrance, and withdrawn from said space when the gate closes theentrance.

7. In an improvement of the kind described, a bridging device, means formovably mounting the same beneath the door of a car, a leaf springhaving its ends abut-- ting against the inner edge of the bridgingdevice to move the same to projecting position, and means for returningsaid device against the tension of the spring.

8. In an improvement of the kind described, the combination of abridging device, means for mounting the same beneath the door of a car,said device having its inner corners cut away, resilient means formoving said device to project outward from the side of the car,anti-friction means supporting said device, and means for withdrawingsaid bridging device against the tension. of said resilient means.

9. The combination of a bridging member adapted to be mounted in arecess in the floor of a car beneath a door thereof, means for movingthe bridging member into projecting position, a connection including ayielding member joining the bridging member to the car door, and meansfor guiding said connection, whereby the car door and the bridgingmember will be operated in unison.

10. The combination of a bridging member, means for movably mounting thesame upon a vehicle adjacent a door controlling entrance thereto, meansfor causing said device to move with respect to said vehicle to adjustitself to the curvature of a plat? form beside the roadway on which saidvehicle moves, thus bridging the space between the platform and saidvehicle, and means for connecting the door to the member, whereby whenthe door is opened the member can move to bridging position, and whenthe door is closed the member will be withdrawn.

11. The combination of a bridging member, means for mounting the sameupon a vehicle adjacent a door controlling the entrance to said vehicle,means for moving the said member into position to bridge the spacebetween the vehicle and a platform adjacent the roadway along which saidvehicle runs, said means engaging the member so as to cause the same toadjust itself to the curvature of the platform, and means connectingsaid door and said member, whereby the member will be withdrawn when thedoor is shut, and caused to move into bridging position when the door isopened.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

KURT L. ELSNER.

Witnesses:

WM. F. NICKEL, PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

